Batcha’s Case: Doctor Perfomed Autopsy Resigns

Chennai: Forensic surgeon Dr V Dekal, who conducted the postmortem on the body of Sadhick Batcha on March 18, has quit the government service.

Sadhick Batcha, 39, a close aide of former telecom minister A Raja and a person the CBI considered a vital link in the 2G spectrum money trail, was found hanging at his Chennai residence on March 17.

Sadhick Batcha (file photo)

Dr Dekal, who heads the department of forensic sciences at the Madras Medical College, said he put in his papers on March 3, more than a fortnight before Batcha’s suicide, to contest the Tamil Nadu assembly
elections.

“I am yet to make up my mind since the relieving order is yet to come. If it comes soon, I may contest as an independent,” he said. Dr Dekal’s father was a DMK member.

Dr Dekal had said that asphyxiation was the cause of Batcha’s death, but did not elaborate on the details since he was awaiting results of laboratory tests on Batcha’s visceral organs.

The immediate police reaction to the suicide had raised several,questions last Thursday. Though Batcha was declared ‘brought dead’ to Apollo Hospitals, Chennai at 1.20pm, the postmortem was not carried
out the same day.

The police said the process could not be initiated as by the time Batcha’s wife came to sign the papers, it was too late. The body was taken to the Government Royapettah Hospital which does not have a forensic expert, and one had to be brought from the Madras Medical College the next day for the autopsy.